Every year, international students from sixty different countries enroll at the University of Idaho, predominantly from Nepal, India and China. This fall alone, 627 new international Vandals joined the Moscow community. Life abroad is not easy for anyone, but the highs and lows make being an international student a bittersweet experience.
“She enjoys spending time in the Arboretum and loves hiking, picnicking, and stargazing around Moscow.”
Jana Veleva is a sophomore double majoring in psychology and nutrition. She comes from the very spontaneous and fun city of Skopje, Macedonia. “Skopje is best known for its social life, during the day and night, the cafes and restaurants are always full of people. Many would say that they feel a sense of freedom in Skopje. From attending movie premiers, concerts, live band performances, traditional music taverns, to enjoying nature at the beautiful city park, or hiking on Vodno (the closest mountain), all of that can be done in Skopje and describes its spirit.” Although she misses friends and family from her hometown, she loves Moscow for its people. “I have had the chance to meet incredibly kind, understanding and welcoming people, which is always a good thing especially when coming to a new place.” She also finds it very easy to be in touch with nature here. She enjoys spending time in the Arboretum and loves hiking, picnicking and stargazing around Moscow.
Miguel Natividad is a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering. He’s from Lima, Peru. He would describe his hometown as crowded, noisy and overpopulated. That is why he loves the small town feel of Moscow. He’s only been here for a month but the quite and peaceful ambience has already made him fall in love with the town. He loves the diversity here and enjoys talking to and learning about people from different backgrounds. He recommends that international students learn life skills like cooking and driving before moving here. They should be ready to live on their own and be their own guardian. “Look for opportunities to meet new people and get involved and don’t isolate yourself.”
“Reach out to people, don’t be afraid to ask.”
Samuel Mbah is a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Computer Science. He’s from the boisterous city of Lagos, Nigeria. He describes his hometown as crazy and overpopulated but it really shaped his life and gave him valuable experiences. He is currently the president of the National Society of Black Engineers at the University of Idaho and is also involved in the Black Student Union as well as the Robotics club. Like Miguel, he also appreciate the small town feel of Moscow. He specially enjoyed the spring season here when all the trees were green. Besides his family and friends, he misses going to concerts in Nigeria and listening to African music. His main advice to any international student would be “Just ask”. “Reach out to people for advice and information, don’t be afraid to ask”.
Collectively, international students seem to enjoy the serenity in Moscow. The people here are so welcoming that they make it feel like home away from home. Although being away from family is hard, students take life in USA as a huge opportunity to learn and grow. It is definitely challenging moving here first, but the learning and networking opportunities make it all worth it.
